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StartUp Founders: Create Lovers Not Users
Turn early users into passionate advocates with Minimum Delightful Product thinking — MDP beats MVP in the modern startup game.
Core Takeaway
TLDR
- 1. Modern users expect more than basic functionality—create a Minimum Delightful Product (MDP) that transforms users into advocates from V1, not just a minimum viable product.
- 2. The difference between products that are used vs. loved is emotional connection—balance "just enough" features with experiences that exceed expectations.
- 3. While MVPs focus on validating solutions with minimal effort, MDPs add user engagement as a key consideration—engineering products that improve user flow, not just enable it.
Hey Reader,
Gone(ish) are the days of "launch fast, fix later" or bare-bones Minimum Viable Product (MVP). Users today have low tolerance for clunky interfaces, frustrating experiences, or lackluster support. Why can't we exceed expectations from the first interaction? This is the era of Minimum Delightful Product (MDP). (𝕏 Tweet)
TLDR: With coding democratized and specialized tools at your disposal, there's no excuse not to transform users into passionate advocates from day one.
STARTUP FRAMEWORK DOWNLOADS:
- 1.2 Why Does My StartUp Exist: Problem Validation
- 1.3 Does The Market Care: Problem Impact Analysis
- 1.4 Investor Update Template: You Are Your First Investor
- 1.5 StartUp Value Chain: Where Do You Fit In
- 1.6 StartUp Founder Tribe: Cultivating Your Circle
- 1.7 Solution First Glance: Product Reality Check
LETS GET INTO IT:
If you build it, they will not come. In a market saturated with options, your product needs to do more than just function; it must delight. The MDP isn't just about features; it's about creating an emotional response – the difference between a product that's used and one that's loved.
This focus on user delight is the foundation to achieving product-market fit (PMF), where your product truly resonates with your target audience, and facilitates product-led growth (PLG), where the product itself drives user acquisition and engagement.
Think of it like the Japanese concept of quality:
- Atarimae hinshitsu: Things work as expected.
- Miryokuteki hinshitsu: But they should also have an aesthetic quality, a delightful surprise.
This MDP workbook introduces questions to help find the balance between "just enough" and "exceeding expectations" – marrying user needs and delight.
An MVP is the bare minimum needed to validate your solution's viability and gather initial user feedback. Maximum learning with minimal effort. The MDP takes it a step further by adding user engagement as a consideration alongside the feature testing. It's about engineering a product that doesn't disrupt user flow – it makes it better.
The "minimum" part is still crucial. You need a foundation to figure out if you're heading in the right general direction. The question is: Minimum to whom?
Ready to go from minimum viable to minimum delightful?
As always, you are welcome to grab time with me.
Good luck.
– James
